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Vendors, Crews Prep For Blueberry Festival

PLYMOUTH ­— Centennial Park was a buzz Wednesday in anticipation of this weekend’s Blueberry Festival.
Tents were going up, vendors were bringing their wares in and parks department employees were hard at work.
Larry Faulstich, vice president of the festival’s board, anticipated crowds of around 300,000 people to file in and out of the park over the four-day event.
“We have something for everyone,” said Faulstich.
From softball and volleyball tournaments to BMX shows and even arm wrestling, Faulstich feels like the festival lives up to its goal.
“It’s a family-friendly event and we try to keep it like that,” said Faulstich.
Faulstich anticipated the most people would be on hand Sunday night for the fireworks show.
“We’re also honored that Morgan Uceny is going to come Saturday and let the community thank her for all she’s done,” said Faulstich.
A driving force behind holding the festival each year is to provide a way for not-for-profits to earn more funds.
With so many people, however, Faulstich knows that festival can’t come without some logistical issues.
“We know traffic can be an issue,” said Faulstich. “We’re working with neighbors as best we can.”
Neighbors may be calmed by the fact that parking near Centennial Park can fetch someone extra cash.
As for the vendors, many were setting up Wednesday.
Jim and Betty Brown have been coming up to the Blueberry Festival for nearly 20 years.
They travel from Parke County in west central Indiana to sell their fruit butters and hand-crafted items.
Jim said, not surpassingly, that the couple’s blueberry butter and syrup are big sellers each year.
Frank and Cindy Howe travel all the way from Columbus, Ohio to sell their lawn art.
It’s the sixth year for the Howes.
“It’s the people, our customers that keep us coming back,” said Cindy.